Northwest College Men’s Soccer Eager to Begin Regular Season

AFTER PLAYING IN EXHIBITION MATCHES FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS THE NORTHWEST COLLEGE TRAPPERS MEN’S SOCCER TEAM WILL OPEN REGULAR SEASON PLAY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AGAINST TREASURE VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THE TRAPPERS WERE PICKED 7TH TO OPEN THE YEAR AND RETURN 15 ATHLETES FROM A YEAR AGO. HEAD COACH BEN MCARTHUR TALKS ABOUT WHAT HIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN TO THE TEAM EARLY ON.

“OUR WHOLE MOTTO AND SEASON SLOGAN IS, TO EMBRACE WORK FOR WINS. MY WHOLE DEAL IS YOU CAN HAVE A GOOD TIME AND HAVE JOY BUT IT NEEDS TO COME WHILE YOU’RE WORKING HARD. THESE GUYS HAVE ALL BEEN PLAYING SOCCER SINCE THEY WERE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS OLD. THEY NEED TO COME TO PRACTICE EVERY DAY, WORK AS HARD AS POSSIBLE AND STILL HAVE FUN.”

THE TRAPPERS ARE COMING INTO THIS SEASON LOOKING TO BUILD ON LAST SEASONS SUCCESS AND AT THE TOP OF THEIR LIST IS TO HOST A FIRST ROUND MATCH COME PLAYOFF TIME. COACH MCARTHUR TALKS ABOUT THE KEYS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

“WE HAVE TO BATTLE IN THE MIDFIELD, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO CHALLENGE ALL THE 50-50 BALLS. PUT TEAMS UNDER PRESSURE IN THE MIDFIELD. THEN OBVIOUSLY THE CLASSIC SOCCER STUFF IS DON’T GIVE UP EASY GOALS. IF TEAMS ARE GOING TO SCORE ON YOU THEY’VE GOT TO BE GOOD ONES. ELIMINATING SOME OF THE MISTAKES IN THE BACK AND MAKING SURE THAT NOTHING EASY GETS IN ON US. ON THE FLIP SIDE, MAKE SURE WE CAN PUNISH OTHER TEAMS. WHEN OTHER TEAMS MAKE MISTAKES WE WANT TO PUNISH THEM AND MAKE THEM PAY.”

COACH MCARTHUR GOES ON TO OUTLINE WHAT THE TEAM IS LOOKING TO DO IN THEIR FIRST REGULAR SEASON CONTEST.

“I THINK A BIG ONE FOR THIS FIRST MATCH IS WE WANT TO ATTACK WITH PURPOSE. EVERY PASS, WHY ARE YOU PLAYING THAT PASS. WE WANT TO HAVE GUYS LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE AND NOT JUST MAKE CONNECT PASSES FOR THE SAKE OF CONNECTING PASSES, BUT HAVE A PURPOSE BEHIND IT. DEFENSIVELY WE WANT TO WIN THE BALL BACK QUICKLY. YOU KNOW WHEN WE LOSE THE BALL CAN WE JUMP ON THE OTHER TEAM AND TRY TO WIN IT BACK IN 7 SECONDS.”

THE NORTHWEST COLLEGE TRAPPERS OPEN REGULAR SEASON PLAY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY IN POWELL WHEN THEY HOST TREASURE VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE. MATCH TIME FRIDAY IS SCHEDULED FOR 3PM, SATURDAY AT 11AM.